Feeding device for cigarettemaking machines



May 1, 1951 p CHAZE 2,551,095

FEEDING DEVICE FOR CIGARETTE MAKING MACHINES Filed April 11, 1945Patented May 1, 1951 OFFICE FEEDING DEVICE FOR CIGARETTE- MAKINGMACHINES Paul Chaze, Le Kremlin -Bicetre France Application April 11,1945, Serial No. 587,77 In France May 11, 1943 Section 1, Public Law690, August s, 1946 Patent expires May 11, 1963 Claims. (01. 222-1 62)In machines for making cigarettes by means of paper tubes, tobacco isdelivered to the machine as follows: after a predetermined amount oftobacco has been introduced by hand into a slot, a recess or a gutterprovided in th machine, it is then compressed or packed and the roll oftobacco is pushed into the paper tube by operating the mechanism of themachine. A machine of the aforesaid type has been described and claimedin my prior British Patent 464,948.

It will be understood that a rather delicate manual operation isrequired for feeding the machine with tobacco, and irregularities mayoccur so that the cigarettes can be unevenly filled.

It is an object of my invention to provide an improved machine which isfree from the above drawback. According to this invention, a device fordelivering predetermined amounts of tobacco to machines for makingcigarettes of the type described, comprises a semi-cylindrical troughhaving a split bottom and held in a stationary position above the slotor gutter of the machine; a member adapted to play the part both of ascraper and a tobacco container is capable of swin ing or pivoting inthe trough. The scraper is made as a bottomless box adapted to be filledwith tobacco,the latter being subjected to a,pressure tending to push itthrough the slot in the trough. Then, upon each swinging movement of thescraper, a predetermined amount of tobacco passes through the troughslot into the gutter of the machine, where it is packed and driven outby the mechanism of said machine.

The pressure on the mass of tobacco in the hollow scraper may beproduced by springs acting on a pushing member slidably mounted in thescraper, the springs being preferably arranged so as to hold the scraperin either of its end positions.

The following description with reference to the appended drawings givensolely by way of example will show how this invention may be carriedout.

Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic side view of the machine for making cigarettesin accordance with my prior British patent, said machine being providedwith a device according to this invention.

Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinalsection of the feeding device shown ona large scale.

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the trough.

Fig. 4 is a cross section taken along line IVIV on Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a plan view of the scraper and Fig. 6 is a cross section takenalong line VIVI on Fig. 5.

Fig. 7 is a plan view showing the pushing member positioned'in thescraper, and Fig. 8 is a longitudinal section taken along line VIII-VIIIon Fig. 7.

Figs. 9, 10 and 11 are diagrammatic views illustrating the operation ofmy device.

Figure 12 is a fragmentary view corresponding to Fig. 2 showing anadjustable slot.

In the example shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the machine for making cigarettesgenerally denoted by reference character I, has a slot 3 in its upperhorizontal wall 2 (Fig. 2) above slot 3 lies a slot t in asemi-cylindrical trough 5 which is shown on Figs. 3 and 4.

The trough is fast with a frame 6- the lower part of which is secured onthe wall 2 of the machine by means of screws 1 or any other suit-- ablemeans, and has two spaced apart parallel.

cheeks 8 provided with holes 9 wherein the hollow scraper I0 isjournalled; the journals may be for instance screws, studs or the like.

The scraper is a bottomless box and the lower" edges of its faces areshaped as semi-cylinders having the same radius as the trough, as shown.at H on Fig. 6.

Owing to this construction, the lower edges ll'a' of the scrapertransverse faces i. e. faces which. do not contact checks 8, are tangentwith the inner surface of the trough. Engaging the hol-- low scraper I0,is a pushing member I2 (Figs. 7' and 8) the bottom [3 of which has twoor more holes I4 providing an exit for air when pushing: member I2 isdriven into the hollow scraper l0.. Springs 15 are interposed betweenstationary pins or lugs IE on cheeks 8, and lugs l! on the: upper partof pushingmember l2.

The'feeding device operates as follows, refer-- ence being had todiagrammatic Figs. 9 to 11: an: amount of tobacco corresponding forinstance to the content of a package or half a package of V tobacco isplaced within the scraper box IE! as shown at l8 on Fig. 2. The pushingmember I 2 is then introduced into the scraper box, its introduction andremoval being very easy by reason of the operation of springs l5 whenthe pushing member is manipulated.

When the pushing member [2 is in its place, tobacco I8 is subjected tothe vertical pressure illustrated by arrow F on Fig. 2, which tends todrive a small amount of tobacco through the slot 3. Assuming that thescraper is in the position shown on Fig. 9, tobacco will be very simplyfed by swinging the scraper from the position shown on Fig. 9 to theposition shown on Fig. 10. During the swinging motion, the end Ila ofthe left hand wall of the scraper pushes tobacco in the direction ofarrow ,f (Fig. 9); as tobacco is in abutment against the right hand endof slot 3, said tobacco is thus expelled and a determined amount thereofwill pass through said slot as shown at lea on Fig. 10

W'hen the machine is provided below the slot 4, with a gutter having astationary wall [9 lined by an extraction spoon 19a (bearing thereference character 1'7 in my prior Britishpatent) while the other wallis a pushing member 20 (equivalent to the compression rnernber 13 insaid British patent), tobacco will be packed by moving the pushingmember 20 in-theldilectipn of arrow f1 (Fig. 11), and for obtaining acomplete cigarette it will be only necessary to, drive the amount ofpacked tobacco as a cylindrical 15011 (as shown at I8b on Fig. 11) bymeans of atransverse push rod fast with spoon 19a into the cigarettepaper tube.

When the amount of tobacco 18a is deemed insufiicient, the scraper l maybe swung again i. e. brought back from the position shown on Fig. to theposition shown on Fig. 9, so that the right hand edge Ha will push a newamount of tobacco in the direction reverse to that of arrow 1, and causeit to pass through the slot 4.

From the foregoing statement, it will be seen that each swingingmovement of the scraper causes delivery of a predetermined amount ofswinging axis of the scraper, in each one of the extreme positions ofthe latter, said scraper is efficiently held in its place in either ofsaid extreme positions.

It should be understood that alterations may be brought in the deviceabove described without departing from the scope of this invention. Inparticular as shown in Figure 12, the slot 4 may have a variable widthfor instance by providing a slidable plate 2| occupying an adjustableposition between the wall 2 of the machine and trough 5 and secured'bybolts 22 passing through elongated slots 23 of plate 2|.

What I claim is:

1. A feeding device of the type described which comprises a troughincluding spaced apart side cheeks and an intermediate semi-cylindricalmember having a longitudinal bottom aperture: an open-ended box in theform of a parallelepiped cut across at its lower part by a cylinder ofthe same radius as said intermediate member and placed so as to betangent through its bottom face with said intermediate member, the boxbeing accommodated between the cheeks and journalled therein so as to becapable of swinging on an axis which is coincident with the axis of saidsemi-cylindrical member, a plunger fitted in and slidably engaging saidbox, and spring means between the top exposed portion of said plungerand said cheeks for biasing the plunger downe wardly.

' 2. A feedingdevice of the type described which comprises a frame, aconcave-member having a deliver-yaperture secured on the frame, atubular 4 hollow body having curved edges at one end, said curved edgesbeing in contact with the inner surface of said concave member, a pistonin said tubular hollow body for pushing material therein towards saidconcave member, and means providing a swinging axis for said tubularhollow body, said tubular hollow body being adapted to move with itsedges in permanent contact with sa d q cavc mem .3. VA feeding device ofthe type described which comprises a trough including spaced apart sideghee kg and, ;g, 1- 1' intermediate concave member having a longitudinalaperture, a tubular hollow bodylpiyotally mounted in the cheeks of saidtrough having its edges at one end adapted and arranged for contact withthe concave member of the trough, and a plunger slidably mounted in thetubular hollow body for pressing any material towards said open end.

4. A feeding device of the type described which comprises a troughincluding. spaced apart side cheeks and an intermediate concave .memberhaving a longitudinal aperture, a tubular hollow bodyhaving trunnionspivotally mounted in the cheeks of said trough-having at one of its endscurved edges adapted and arranged for contact with the inner surfaceof.the concave. member of said trough, a plunger slidablymounted in andprojecting from said tubular hollow body and resilient means operativelyinterposed between said plunger on its portion outside said tubularhollow body and said trough, for biasing said plungertowards saidaperture.

5-. A feeding device of the type described which comprises a. troughincluding spaced apart side cheeks andanintermediate.concave memberhaving a longitudinal. aperture, a tubular hollow body having trunnionspivotallymounted in the cheeks of. said trough having; at one of itsends curved edges adapted and arranged for contact with the innersurfaceof the concave member of said trough, a plunger slidably mountedvin and projecting from said tubular hollow body and resilient meanssecured at least at one point of saidplunger'on its portion outside thetubular hollow body and. atxleastatone outside point of said. trough,.saidlatterzpoint being straight below said trunnions whereby theplunger isurged towards the trough, and the hollow body is urged towardsits extremepositions.

' PAUL CHAZE.

REFERENCES CITED The followingreferences are-of record in the file ofthis patent-:

. UNlEED-STAIES- PATENTS. N mber

